The invention relates to a support configuration for shipping and operating a turbine and, more particularly, to a support configuration that facilitates a connection to a turbine for transporting and supporting the turbine.
Turbine installation and assembly involve multiple lifts between shipping to operating configurations when manufacturing, during transportation, at testing facilities, and during final assembly and installation in the field. During shipment, turbines are subjected to loads in the axial, lateral, and vertical directions. The turbines are typically supported at three points during shipment. The forward two points typically must react to forward, backward, downward, and upward loading. Upon arrival to the customer site, the turbine must be transferred from its shipping vessel to its operating location in the plant, typically via gurney or crane lift.
It would be desirable to minimize the amount of time it takes to disconnect the gas turbine from the shipping stand and move it to the operating location, as this is part of the critical path of the installation. This process and problem may be similar during shipping at multiple instances.
Traditionally, turbine bases are the same for shipping and operation. The turbine base is designed for both shipping and operating loads having numerous welds. Extensive inspections take major time in manufacturing. The piping installation at site starts only after turbine alignment, which is in the turbine cycle critical path. Turbine alignment involves precise landing, requires jacking post(s) for lateral alignment, fixator failure and extensive site labor. Scaling (size and weight) for higher frame sizes encounter challenges in shipping and crane capacity.